Research article
Trends in cardiovascular disease incidence among 22 million people in the UK over 20 years: population based study
- Population based study
- Mean age 70.5 years; 47.6% (n=784 904) women
Authors' conclusion
Despite substantial improvements in the prevention of atherosclerotic diseases in the UK, the overall burden of CVDs remained high during 2000-19.
Study context
- Population
- Individuals registered with a general practice (Clinical Practice Research Datalink), UK, newly diagnosed with ≥1 cardiovascular disease (CVD), 1 January 2000 to 30 June 2019
- Participants
- 1,650,052 individuals
- Comparison
- Trends 2017-19 vs 2000-02; most vs least deprived
- Outcome
- Incident diagnosis of CVD (composite of 10 CVDs:
- ACS
- Aortic aneurysm
- AS
- AF or flutter
- Chronic ischaemic heart disease
- HF
- PAD
- Second or third degree heart block
- Stroke
- VTE)
- Age
- Sex standardised
- Follow-up
- 2000-19
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Age and sex standardised incidence of all 10 CVDs
Incidence rate ratio
0.80
95% CI 0.73–0.88
2017-19 vs 2000-02
IRR 0.80 (95% CI 0.73–0.88)
Further findings
| Outcome | IRR (CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Incidence of ACS, chronic ischaemic heart disease and stroke — 2017-19 vs 2000-02 · ACS | 0.70 (0.69–0.70) | |
| Incidence of ACS, chronic ischaemic heart disease and stroke — 2017-19 vs 2000-02 · chronic ischaemic heart disease | 0.67 (0.66–0.67) | |
| Incidence of ACS, chronic ischaemic heart disease and stroke — 2017-19 vs 2000-02 · stroke | 0.75 (0.67–0.83) | |
| Socioeconomic gradient (most vs least deprived) — Most deprived vs Least deprived · PAD | 1.98 (1.87–2.09) | |
| Socioeconomic gradient (most vs least deprived) — Most deprived vs Least deprived · ACS | 1.55 (1.54–1.57) | |
| Socioeconomic gradient (most vs least deprived) — Most deprived vs Least deprived · HF | 1.50 (1.41–1.59) | |
| 0.512Incidence rate ratio (log scale) |
Incidence of ACS, chronic ischaemic heart disease and stroke
- Increasing diagnoses of cardiac arrhythmias, valve disease and thromboembolic diseases
- CHD decline largely restricted to age >60 years, little or no improvement in younger age groups
- Trends generally similar between men and women
Socioeconomic gradient (most vs least deprived)
- Gradient observed for almost every CVD and did not decrease over time
Original publication
Trends in cardiovascular disease incidence among 22 million people in the UK over 20 years: population based study. BMJ. Published 26 June 2024. doi:10.1136/bmj-2023-078523
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it